The Caribbean Statehood Act

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Will the senate consider the following proposal, The Caribbean Statehood Act:

The Caribbean Statehood Act
1. A 51st state shall be admitted into Atlasia, called Puerto Rico.
2. The state of Puerto Rico shall consist of the current Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Navassa Island.
3. The state of Puerto Rico shall be part of the Southeastern Region.
4. The state of Puerto Rico shall be placed into the current District 4, though it can be moved around accordingly during redistricting.

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This is just to give the Southeast more power...

it doesn't give the Southeast any more power.  Also, the southeast is the least populous region, and this could perhaps allievate some of that.

i officially submit this bill to the senate and ask the honorable PPT to open debate

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I support this amendment. We need an avatar however.

there is a PR avatar

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well Puerto Rico mooches off the Atlasia government by taking and not giving back, yet their quality of life is quite low, compared to the states.  If PR were to become a state, then not only would it start giving back to the nation, the quality of life would be enhanced with more businesses coming into the area.  The Virgin Islands are right there and should become part of the state.

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Harry so you want PR and the VI to be states?

one single state

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Harry so you want PR and the VI to be states?

one single state

Oh ok.. why not two states?

VI doesn't have nearly enough people

Um.....we have no members participating from either of those territories.  What's the point?

we don't have anyone from Montana either, but we don't try to destateify it.  This is a fantasy government, so here's a fantasy bill that I would propose if this were real

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Indepedence would not be a good option, but they would simply be totally dependent on us like the Marshall Islands and the FSMicronesia.  The status quo is bad because they mooch off us without returning anything really.
So statehood is their best option.  It will help us, it will help them.  They owe it to us, we owe it to them.
Additionally, though Navassa Island is not very inhabited, having it part of the state would certainly give us a mandate to have and military activity on the island, which is not far from Cuba.
I urge all Senators to vote yes on this act.

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*Sen. Nation takes the floor, in a frumpled suit after late-night drinking with the supreme court justices*

We already have individuals in foreign countries who must choose a state residency somewhere, in order to participate. The Atlasian territories in question are NOT  part of the 50 states, just like Sweden isn't, and just like England isn't. Any residents from these territories should do just like everyone else does -- choose an avatar.

The territories in question ARE, however, part of Atlasia, and have a totally unfair treatment, which can only be resolved with statehood.

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having a firm foothoold in the Caribbean will be a boon in future years.  mark my words.

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should we go ahead and vote on this?

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No one has mentioned the fact that the vast majority of Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking state, which would clash with the rest of America.

some implications: what this would mean in practice is that a resident of America's 50 other states who finds himself on trial in the state of Puerto Rico could be expected to defend himself in a foreign tongue. The relatively few who speak fluent Spanish may not object, but the vast majority of mainland U.S. citizens may find this an unnecessary difficulty

A New Yorker arrested for a federal crime in New Hampshire can feel free to defend himself with the help of an attorney based in New York, New Hampshire or any other state. But if Puerto Rico attains statehood, yet is allowed to run its courts in Spanish, only a foolhardy man would not hire a bilingual attorney to defend him in a Puerto Rican courtroom.

their courts can be required to be in English; in fact, I believe a governor of PR made English the official language, much to the chagrin of the populace

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Nation, do not forget this is not technically the USA.

Also Harry, I will wait to hear from a delegation from Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Navassa Island before calling a vote.

Excellent idea, Senator Kennedy. Until we have a representative from any one of these islands, we should not have a vote, and I encourage all Senators to not support any motion to vote before then.

That's utterly horrendous logic!  We don't have anyone from Montana or Alaska or North Dakota, and do we just ignore those areas?  No!  of course not!  We put them in districts and regions and have it set up so that as soon as we do get a poster from those areas we're ready for them!

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Atlasia is based off the United States system, whether you think so or not. Foreign posters register with a certain state. These islands are not a part of the United States, thus any member who happens to be from these territories will have to do so anyway.

I would vote yes on any bill which requires voters from these territories to register with a state in the southeast region. It's essentially the same thing, without all the troubles of statehood.

these island ARE in fact part of the United States, actually

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Currently, Puerto Rico has a population of 3,858,806, which is more than Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, North Dakota, and Delaware put together.  And no one in fantasy elections are registered in those areas.  But by no means would anyone ever say, "Let's not let WY, MT, AK, ND, or DE be states.  When someone registers from those states, we'll hear their opinions and then decide."  Of course not, we allow them to be states, and when a person joins from one of those areas, they have a state they can be a part of.  Why should Puerto Rico be any different?  Why should Puerto Rico not be part of a region or a district?  Why should Puerto Rico not get representation in the Senate, or a vote for president?  Why should Puerto Ricans not have to pay income tax?  These questions have NO legitimate answers, and this horrible situtation the area is in can only be allievated in one way:  statehood.  And as a boon, the more affulent but similarly unrepresented and untaxed Virgin Islands can join nearby Puerto Rico in this new state.  And the uninhabited Navassa Island can also become a part of this great state of Puerto Rico as a testament that we're holding on to this island--that Cuba or any other hostile Carribean power will be closely monitored.  Yes, it is the solution to a large quandry, a large injustice.  I urge ALL senators to vote yes on this evening out of rights denied, in making our brothers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands equal with these rest of us great citizens of the World's Greatest Nation--Atlasia.
With that, I ask our esteemed PPT to put this bill to a vote.

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I vote an emphatic YES

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As the President Pro Tem has said, we haven't heard anyone from these island chains. There isn't anyone at the forum from these islands. If the day ever comes when we have members of the forum from these places, I think we should open this topic again for discussion, and vote. But I would still be hestitant to vote yes.

"Residents of Puerto Rico voted on their status in 1993 in a non-binding advisory vote. Proponents of statehood won with 46.3 percent of the vote ."
That's a representative from the island.  We don't need to have someone on the forum from there!  Do we have anyone from MT?  no!  But we still consider their real-life interests!

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My fellow Atlasians, it is a sad day for Puerto Ricans; it is a sad day for Atlasia.  Puerto Rico will continue to be in unfairly denied their rights, and at the same time, Atlasia will have to continue to finance them, while getting nothing in return.  Some of my fellow Senators have remarked that Puerto Ricans haven't spoken on the issue, but they have.  "Residents of Puerto Rico voted on their status in 1993 in a non-binding advisory vote. Proponents of statehood won with 46.3 percent of the vote." http://ri.essortment.com/puertoricansta_rdla.htm
Atlasian citizens in Puerto Rico will continue to be disenfranchised due only to where they live, and they will continue to receive benefits without paying sales tax.  Statehood was the only way to even this unfairness out.  Statehood was the only solution for Puerto Ricans, and the only solution for the rest of Atlasia.  Yet when presented with these facts, most of my fellow senators ingnored the facts for whatever reason and voted it down.  "We haven't consulted them," they said.  Should the government allow an area mooching off them to decide whether they should stop or not?  I thank Senator Statesrights for being sensible in the matter.  I admonish the rest of the senate for ignoring such an important issue, for ignoring one of the nation's greatest inequities, and refusing to enact its simple--yet only--solution.

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As the President Pro Tem has said, we haven't heard anyone from these island chains. There isn't anyone at the forum from these islands. If the day ever comes when we have members of the forum from these places, I think we should open this topic again for discussion, and vote. But I would still be hestitant to vote yes.

"Residents of Puerto Rico voted on their status in 1993 in a non-binding advisory vote. Proponents of statehood won with 46.3 percent of the vote ."
That's a representative from the island.  We don't need to have someone on the forum from there!  Do we have anyone from MT?  no!  But we still consider their real-life interests!

Montana is a state in the US. Puerto Rico is not. If Montana were NOT a state, I would not vote for it to become a state in the Atlas Forum.....because we have no one from Montana here in the state. As so it is with Puerto Rico. You don't understand the point. You think I'm voting against this because Puerto Rico has no people, and you try to make a comparison saying...."Montana has no people but it's in a region." That's a poor argument.

The reason I vote against it is because Puerto Rico is NOT a state....and with no one from the forum who lives there....then what the hell reason is there to add Puerto Rico?!

Because, as another senator in opposition to the bill said, we're representing the real US and not a fantasy.  And if this were the real US, it's a bill I'd bring up.